"A statesman gains little by the arbitrary exercise of ironclad authority upon all occasions that offer, for this wounds the just pride of his subordinates, and thus tends to undermine his strength. A little concession, now and then, where it can do no harm is the wiser policy." - MARK TWAIN

At the risk of getting all professorial on you (he says as he dons a tweed jacket with leather elbow patches), both are idomatic slang expressions which habor subtle shades of meaning conferred by either the speaker, the listener, or both (see http://www.urbandictionary.com/).

Research shows a direct correlation between the nuts who consider such questions and the crazies who try to answer said questions. Both are quite likely mentally ill (he says as he removes his coat and hangs it on a hat tree next to the classroom door).